Panida announces new managing director

SANDPOINT – The historic Panida Theater has announced the appointment of Lauren Sanders as its new managing director.

Now responsible for the operations of the venue, Sanders officially takes over the position in February. With her, Sanders will bring years of marketing and communication knowledge that Jim Healey, Panida board chairman, said the team is excited to utilize.

“The board welcomes Lauren as the Panida moves forward with the Century Fund,” Healey said. “Her experience with marketing, volunteer coordination, and contracts will serve her well in the managing director position.”

A graduate of North Idaho College and the University of Idaho with a degree in public relations, Sanders has nearly 10 years of experience in marketing and communication in a variety of industries.

Beginning her career as a marketing manager, Sanders said she worked for a smart pallet company, where she guided them through a rebrand and was integral in increasing industry recognition by developing campaigns with businesses such as AT&T and Covestro. Continuing to expand her skill set, Sanders became a marketing and communication consultant where she provided communication strategy, event coordination, social media management, and content development for her clients.

With a deep connection to the area, Sanders said she is the seventh generation of her family to live in North Idaho with most of her family being in Coeur d’Alene. While she wasn’t born in that community, growing up her family would spend every vacation in North Idaho and it imprinted on Sanders’ heart. Most notably recalling her grandfather Jim Elder Sanders’s lifelong dedication to the Coeur d’Alene community.

“My Papa was integral in the remodeling of McEuen Field and in the library update, and he served on the City Council for many years. Being a first-hand witness to his commitment to his community instilled in me the value of giving back to where you live.” Sanders said, “North Idaho has been the most consistent place for me, it's my home.”

Officially moving to Sandpoint in 2021 with her husband and their family, Sanders said she wanted to get involved in the Sandpoint community.

“I was presented with a great opportunity to be the marketing manager for Kaniksu Community Health. I loved working there, it was a great opportunity to better understand the residents of Bonner and Boundary counties.” Sanders said.

Now looking forward to her new position, Sanders said she is deeply honored to bring her heart commitment to the community and her career accomplishments together to serve the historic Panida Theater.

“The Panida is a magical place that has been bringing our community together for nearly 100 years. I’m honored to be the managing director during this pivotal time as we near the Panida’s 100-year anniversary in 2027,” Sanders said “The Panida is a place for our community to come together in a shared experience, and I hope to preserve what the Panida Moms had in mind while bringing to life the plans of the Century Fund that will restore and modernize the Panida so our community can enjoy it for the next 100 years!”

Currently, Panida is actively working toward the $1.9 million goal for the community-driven fundraiser, dubbed the Century Fund campaign. With a 2027 deadline, the funds are planned to be raised in five phases in order to meet the long-deferred maintenance and renovation needs of the historic building and its smaller sibling, the Little Theater. The first phase of the campaign was launched in October, with a goal to raise $273,100 for funds needed to replace the theater roof.

“These are exciting times for the Panida Theater as we move toward its 100th anniversary in 2027,” said Healey. “Lauren is looking forward to the challenge of celebrating the first hundred years of the theater and launching the theater into its second hundred years.”